A hospital""s echocardiography lab performs analysis on a patent""s heart data. For example, a viewing station in the lab allows doctors and technicians to view medical images on computer terminals for purposes of medical diagnosis. Measurements and various functions can be made on the displayed images. For example, a heart image can be displayed from previously acquired image data, and a technician can automatically perform functions on the data. For example, a technician can automatically use a software package to compute and display a heart""s density.
Heart images can be acquired by an ultrasound system, and the images can then be digitally transferred to an echocardiographic review station. The echocardiographic review station can receive the digital image, display it, and perform a number of operations on it.
New features and operations are commonly made available periodically. For example, a new feature may comprise an improved way to view a heart image, or new calculations on heart images.
In the past, when new features were desired to be added to a particular echocardiographic review station, the new features would have to be added directly into the source code. The end user of the software would then have to acquire the new source code and replace the previous version. This method is burdensome, as it typically requires substantial computing and/or operator time to install the new source code. A further problem with this method is that a developer is required to be familiar with the internal workings of the review station in order for him to develop software code to implement a new feature.
Therefore, what is needed is an easy way to add functionality to an echocardiographic review station.
In one embodiment, the present invention provides for allowing an echocardiographic review station to incorporate different modules without having to recompile or modify the software driving the echocardiographic review station itself. Additional modules are added by use of a plug-in architecture. Modules can be added as separate files which can be executed from software driving the echocardiographic review station itself. Thus, additional functionality can be provided to an echocardiographic review station with minimal effort on the part of the user or the system operator.